"We have lost loved ones, our homeland, our freedoms, our hopes."
 | By Yara Bayoumy World and National Security Editor, Opinion |
A year ago, the world watched in disbelief as America's withdrawal from Afghanistan played out in a chaotic, violent frenzy — a depressing coda to a 20-year military misadventure. |
Beyond the still reverberating geopolitical consequences, it is Afghan women who have borne the brunt of America's exit and the Taliban's return to power. Almost overnight, so many of their rights and freedoms were stripped. |
Anyone who knew the Taliban's creed knew that the pledges they made when they took over, to guarantee the rights of women within Islamic bounds, would translate into a near complete erasure of women from public life, the arts and education. |
At Times Opinion, we wanted to hear from Afghan women as they reflected on the Taliban's takeover. We share their experiences in a piece adapted from a new book, "We Are Still Here: Afghan Women on Courage, Freedom, and the Fight to Be Heard," edited by Nahid Shahalimi, an Afghan activist and filmmaker. |
Their voices betray a mix of emotions — sadness, defiance, bravery, disappointment, fear and rebellion. It is wrenching to read their words. |
"I don't know what the future will bring, but things cannot continue this way. My hope for every girl in Afghanistan is that they can find a source of inspiration like my mother — one who will help pave the way for them to grow into strong women," writes Waslat Hasrat-Nazimi, an Afghan journalist covering Afghanistan for Deutsche Welle, a state-run international broadcasting service in Germany. |
We also wanted to show readers what Afghanistan looks like now. Victor Blue, a photographer who has documented the years of war in Afghanistan, went back a few months ago. His images are haunting. They tell a tale of a country once again reckoning with a regime known for ruling by the gun, one that not only has little respect for the rights of women but for basic governance, too. His pictures show how women's lives have changed in the past year. |
And yet, for many Afghan women who have tasted certain freedoms (however incompletely) over the last two decades, the moment Afghanistan is going through right now is yet another challenge they will eventually overcome. |
Razia Barakzai, who helped to organize some of the first protests in Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul, writes: |
"Our movement is growing. Hundreds of activists from all over the world have come together in support of us, and we have no intention of slowing down. When Afghan women raise their voices, whether they are in Afghanistan or elsewhere, it is a sign of our unity and solidarity." |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
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